The Four Cups of Wine

Arba’ah Kosot: The Four Cups of Wine of the Passover Seder, Pesachim 108b!

Jews worldwide drink four cups of wine at their Pesach (Passover) Seder. In this Thinking Gemara shiur, we will take an insider’s look at this popular mitzvah by learning several Talmudic discussions relating to it. We will approach this analysis by asking some fundamental practical questions about how to properly fulfill the mitzvah of drinking the Four Cups. Examining these questions – with the help of some major Talmudic thinkers – will help us uncover the conceptual foundations of this mitzvah.

Our hope is that familiarizing ourselves with key sources about the Four Cups and the ideas underlying them will enrich our Seder night experience.

The following are some of the key questions this shiur will deal with:

Why do we drink four cups of wine on Passover night?

What is the relationship between the Four Cups and the rest of Seder

Who must drink the cups?

How much must be drunk?

Can you fulfill your obligation by drinking four cups of grape juice?

Student’s Source Sheets

Teacher’s Guides

To download the Chidushei Maran Riz Halevi al HaRambam, upon which a great portion of this shiur is based, please click here